Night Star
by Writer-in-the-making16
Summary: A Ray/Evangeline one-shot. Evangeline reflects upon her love for Ray and the time they spent together when she was with him. Pre-movie.


_Disclaimer: Ray and the star Evangeline (C) Disney._

She was the brightest star in the night sky; the Evening Star, the star that granted the wishes of humans to come true. She was admired for her natural bright light, the beauty of her luminescent glow, the extra twinkle she gave off on a particularly clear night.

She was many of these things, and yet, Evangeline was unhappy.

For you see, she may have been the most shimmering of all stars in the night canopy of New Orleans, and her home in the heavens was perfectly lovely, but it was the surface ofthe Earth that she longed to be part of once again.

Evangeline had not always been a star. Not too long ago, she had been a small, tiny firefly, living with her Cajun relations in the bayou of Louisiana. Life had been pretty normal for her, with a loving family who watched out for her and protected her. She could have been considered pretty, although not a breathtaking beauty. Her light was not awe-inspiring, just a pale off-white yellow, nothing flashy. Her Cajun accent wasn't thick or profound .And her name was too long in her opinion, nearly impossible for her fellow fireflies to pronounce.

Evangeline saw herself as perfectly average yet very different, someone who would never be admired or adored.

Until Ray came into her life.

When they first met, she thought of him as the most energetic, sweetest and liveliest firefly there ever was. He was so friendly and content, he loved life, he strongly believed in the importance of family. All of these factors made his shinning light and strong heart glow even brighter. To her, that's what Ray was; a big, warm, glowing heart that kept on giving love and getting love.

She had been very shy around him at first, for a sheltered person may be that way when meeting someone new, and she feared he'd make judgements on her name, as so many others had in the past. Ray merely replied, "Chere, dat ha' to be de most beautiful name I eva' hear."

Since their first encounter, the two young fireflies were inseparable. Every moment of the day they were together, always out on some excursion or another. Ray knew the bayou like the back of his big fat pouch. He was constantly showing Evangeline a new hidden grove or swampy garden, explaining in vivid detail the beauty of each place and how he came across each one.

She remembered laughing at his one tale of when he discovered this pretty little pool beneath a weeping willow tree, all because his grandmamma had been chasing him down for revealing to the firefly community she'd been flashing old mister Jules, and he needed a place to hide from her. Only her Ray could have gotten himself into such a situation, yet things always worked out for him in the end. The worse he received from Grandmamma was a smart tap to the backside.

They were in one of Ray's favourite places, a thin stretch of marsh river in a sprawling clearing with dark sky overhead. Evangeline loved coming to this spot. Here the stars shone more brilliantly than anywhere else in the bayou, a perfect place for gazing upon the tiny flickers of light in awe.

Evangeline longed to shine as bright as a star. She shyly told this wish to Ray one night as they settled down on their special dandelion in the clearing.

"To me chere, you shine brighter than any ol' star in dat sky," he replied.

"Oh Ray-Ray," Evangeline blushed. She happily sighed and leaned against her love's shoulder. "That's so sweet."

"Ya know, there be this ol' myth in the bayou dat when a firefly passes on, dey become da very stars we gazin' at," Ray added.

Evangeline pondered at what he said for a moment. "Do you…" she began timidly. "Do ya think maybe one day, I could be up there as a star?"

"Chere, no doubt about it!" Ray animated. He held her hand and pointed his own to the vast heavens above them. "Someday ya'll be dere, and when you are, you'd be de prettiest star dat ever did glow."

"Promise you be shining next to me Ray?" she pleaded. "That even when we gone, we'll be together, yes?"

"Of course, Evangeline. No matter where we are, we always gonna be together."

It was right then, starring into his warm, buggy brown eyes, that Evangeline gave Ray their first kiss.

Ray was so shocked with joy, he shot up into the sky and exploded like a million little fireworks.

A few weeks after this event, the lovebirds were coming home from Ray's second cousin's wedding in Shreveport. They had decided to take a shortcut back to the firefly community through one of the darker bayou parts.

How fate can change so sudden, turning from happiness to misery in one blow.

Evangeline didn't recall the last few moments of her life well. She did bear in mind a sharp turn through the pricker bushes, a hulky shape emerging from the bayou's waters, and her small body being flung toward a jutting rock.

Then there was Ray standing over her, begging for her to be alright. She only said, "I love ya Raymond," before slipping into unconsciousness.

Then Evangeline felt weightless, the excruciating pain from her body gone, as she ascended up into the sky. Surrounding her was brilliant pale blue light, so pale it nearly looked white. Soft, tinkling voices called to her; the spirits of ancient fireflies who once governed the earth with there glows, now lit up the darkness of eventide, welcomed her to the heavens.

It was more beautiful than Evangeline could have ever imagined. She should have been overjoyed to be here, but her soul was not content. In not one of the kind spirits did she find the firefly she longed for, the eternal holder of her heart; Ray.

Suddenly, she heard his voice. _Evangeline…_

"Ray?" she called out, ecstatic to hear that familiar Cajun cry again. She quickly glanced around, but no, he still wasn't there.

Then, Evangeline scanned the Earth below, only to gaze atop the bayou, into a specific clearing, and upon the one tiny light she'd been looking for.

Though so far away, Ray stared back at his Evangeline as steadily as though she was still hovering next to him. His eyes, Evangeline noticed, were brimming to the rim with tears, yet on his face was a small, happy smile. _Tolda you'd make it up there one day_, he whispered. _Now ya can shine as bright as you want. Don't worry darlin', Ray-Ray'll be there with ya soon. Till then, I'll come talk to ya ev'ry night. I promise_.

With this declaration, Evangeline's heart soared, filling her with the warmth of true love.

Soon another light caught her attention, a light that was even more radiant than the ones in her range. It took a while for Evangeline to realize that this light was her own. The other stars gazed at the glory of the new star's luminance; never had any one of their number emitted such beautiful, shimmering light.

Ray's love was what gave Evangeline her unmatched glow. His reminder that she'd always be his girl made her want to shine brighter. Though she wasn't completely happy without Ray by her side, when night finally fell and the stars came out, he'd be there, perched on that same dandelion, eager to talk. And with every phrase or song of love that passed through his lips, the Evening Star continued to shine, a symbol of enchantment and hope for wishes of the heart to come true.

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_**Thanks for reading. Please review!**_


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